The Receiving
by Lincoln Six Echo
Summary: Young Obi-Wan saves a woman from death and finds himself trapped in a bond he doesn’t want. Will they be able to overcome their differences and learn to love each other? ObiWanXOFC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The NC-17 version of this story will be posted on my LJ. You can find the link on my profile page.

The "Receiving" is obviously inspired by the "Pon Farr" of Star Trek's memory, but I thought it would be interesting to make a woman and not a man suffer thru this kind of mating fever.

This story was my first attempt to write an OFC. It has been sitting on my HD for 2 years because I felt the end might be a bit lame, but now is time to post it. I hope you will enjoy it.

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**THE RECEIVING**

By Lincoln Six Echo

_This story assumes that you have seen all the six Star Wars episodes and that all scenes not  
specifically altered herein, occurred as they were depicted in those movies._

**FOREWORD**

It is often said the life of an Angarian woman is marked by the periodical recurrence of the Receiving—her receptive time, if you prefer.

The Receiving is the period, lasting a few days, during which the Angarian women are fertile and their need to mate and conceive becomes imperative.

The Receivings follow a seven-years cycle, the first one usually happening during the mid-twenties, and goes on till the woman reaches her seventies.

Contrary to what many an off-worlder believes, this is not the only time when the Angarian females are sexually active, but it is the only time when mating becomes a necessity, for an unconsummated Receiving leads to coma and death.

The origins of the Angarians' peculiar physiology are lost in the midst of time. The ancient chronicles report of a gigantic cataclysm that almost destroyed the system millennia ago, but also of the danger of overpopulation that plagued the planet as it struggled to recover from natural disasters.

Whatever the cause, the Angarians women have come to accept their nature for what it is, and many of them consider themselves more fortunate than the members of other species.

Usually the Receiving is not a traumatic experience, for there is plenty of time for the families to arrange a suitable match for their daughters. Most of the girls are already married or engaged by the time they enter their first Receiving, and eagerly waiting for the moment when the energy emitted during the very first mating will create the unbreakable bond that will tie them to their mates for the rest of their lives.

It is a sacred moment and parties are held to celebrate the end of the First Receiving, as hope burns high the joining was blessed with the conception of a child.

However, not every First Receiving goes as smoothly and what you are going to read is the story of one of them. Of the events that characterized the lives of the two people that, joined forever by fate, found in each other the strength and the love to transform their bond in something no Angarian woman had never known before.

Since this is an Angarian tale, written mostly for Angarian women, it will be dated and sectioned according to our ways, meaning using the Receivings as temporal reference points.

§§§§§

THE FIRST RECEIVING (39BBY)

It was a warm spring evening and Naritha Narvix-Dei, daughter of the governor of Angar sat in front of her toilette table, brushing her long auburn hair.

She had been doing so for a long time and her silky mane was smooth and free of knots, but she continued, finding her methodical moves relaxing.

The young woman raised her violet eyes and looked at the image staring back at her from the mirror hanging in front of her.

She smiled. Her father was right, she was radiant. Her 25 years old body was beginning to feel the first stirrings of her First Receiving, and it made her skin glow in a special way.

Naritha wondered how long she would have to wait before her blood started to burn with the need to mate.

Her marriage with Voltan Van would be held in two days, and then they were going to retire in her family lake retreat, to spend in seclusion her – their—First Receiving.

Without stopping brushing her hair, the young woman thought about her intended, Voltan, the man her father had chosen for her when she had failed to attract a potential mate of her own.

It was not that she was not interested in men – she was! – but she had always loved politics more. The position as Governor of Angar was not technically hereditary, but it was widely expected and accepted that Naritha would succeed her father as planet leader.

Conscious of the people's expectations, she had thrown all of herself in learning what she would need for her future role. She had studied diplomacy, interplanetary politics, economy, and management. She had also served as aide of the Angar Senator to Coruscant, and had participated in several diplomatic missions.

She has always been so busy she had not even the time to think about men, let alone find one she wished to marry!

Luckily, her parents had not been slack in securing a mate for their only daughter, and the day she had turned 25, she formally agreed to marry the man her family has found for her, a middle-aged, very competent diplomat her father believed would be of great help to her once she became Governess.

Naritha had not found her fiancé especially attractive or dashing, but had accepted him gratefully, and now looked forward to the moment all the barriers between them would be blown away during the First Receiving.

§

The following evening the Governor Palace great under-ground banquet hall came alive for the first time in years, filled with guests arrived from every corner of the galaxy.

Some of them were tasting the delicacies offered by the waiters that effortlessly moved around the room carrying trays; others listened to the music a band was playing a corner; others talked of this and that gathered in small groups, probably commenting on the effort the Angar Governor had put in organizing the event.

Reben Narvix-Dei was a well-known man in the Republic, with several influential friends, and he had spared no money to make sure the party held to celebrate his daughter's marriage would go into history as the most important mundane event that had ever happened on Angar.

Naritha had been touched by her father's attentiveness, but would have preferred a less crowded party, for she was not even able to locate her friends in that sea of faces.

As she crossed the room in search of her fiancé, the young woman had to put her diplomatic skills at good use to delicately explain to some ignorant guests why the gathering was held before the actual marriage took place.

Naritha could sense her growing agitation and she knew that by the time the ceremony would be performed, she would not be in the mood to celebrate—at least not in public. She was both excited and anxious to become a real woman in the eye of her people and sensing she was broadcasting her emotions, she tried to rein them in, lest she make some of the off-world guests uncomfortable, especially those who were Force-sensitive.

She had just taken a deep breath, trying to strengthen her control when two of the very guests she had been afraid to upset stepped in front of her and bowed in unison.

The two Jedi Knights were present at the party as Chancellor Valorum's personal representatives.

One of them was a tall, powerfully-built man with prominent, leonine features. His beard and moustaches were close-cropped and his greying hair was worn long and tied back.

His companion was much younger, probably still in his teens. He was of average height, slender and lithe. His boyish face was smooth and clean-shaved and his ginger-coloured was cropped short and spiky, but for a thin braid near his right ear. His eyes were blue-grey and he had a cleft chin.

Naritha could not help but think he would one day become a very handsome man, one who would have women fall at his feet just by merely look at them. She then mentally shook her head when she remembered the Jedi were not allowed to marry.

"_What a waste!"_ she thought, before putting on her most welcoming smile. "Revered Jedi," she said to the two men. "Thank you for coming. I'm delighted by your presence at my wedding."

"My lady Naritha," the taller Jedi answered, "my Padawan and I are honoured to be here and participate in his most important event. We wish you and your future husband a happy and prosperous life."

Naritha thanked him for his gracious words, then turned to face the younger Jedi. "Padawan? I never heard this word before. What does it mean?"

"It's a Jedi word, My Lady. It means apprentice." The youth answered in a pleasant, cultured voice.

"I see." Naritha smiled and added, "Does the Jedi training last very long?"

"Several years, My Lady. I have been Master Jinn's apprentice for the past five years and-" His words died on his lips, as his eyes darted around the room. "Master," he said urgently, "I have a bad feeling. Something is going to happen."

The taller man nodded. "I feel the same." His eyes posed on Naritha. "My Lady, I suggest you to tell your guests to leave this room and direct to the upper floor. We sense a great danger; something terrible is going to happen."

The young woman looked at the Jedi Master as if he had suddenly grown two heads, but before she could said anything, the ground started shaking under their feet.

"AN EARTHQUAKE!" someone shouted, as panic exploded in the room.

People began running toward the doors, crowding them, pushing and screaming as the shakes continued. Large cracks opened in the floor and in the walls, and pieces of ceiling fell on the persons pressed against the doors.

"We must leave, My Lady," Master Jinn urged Naritha, as she stood still in the middle room and was almost thrown to the ground by her fleeing guests.

"I can't! I can't leave without my parents!" she cried, stretching her neck to look at the crowd, as the ground kept on shaking.

"I will find them! Now go with Obi-Wan, he will take you out of here."

"Come with me, My Lady," the younger Jedi exclaimed, pulling her by a wrist.

Naritha still hesitated and Master Jinn pressed on. "My Lady, all Angar's ruling class is gathered here. Should the worst happen and the palace collapse, your planet will remain without leaders. You are the Vice-Governor: you must save yourself and be ready to face the situation."

Naritha's heart constricted at the mere thought of leaving her parents alone in that hell, but she knew the Jedi was right. It was her duty to survive.

"All right," she said turning to face the Padawan, her arms raised protectively over her head. "Lead the way."

Naritha followed the Jedi closely, as the young man used his body to break through the crowd, resolutely ignoring the moans of the people fallen under the debris and the suffocating dust invading the corridors.

They ran toward the main stairs, but when pillar crumbled blocking the way, the young man took her arm and pulled her toward another direction.

"Let's go this way! I studied the palace's layout and I know the safety stairs are here, at the end of this corridor!" he explained, as he opened a door leading to a small passageway.

They rushed inside, only to skid to a halt when the ceiling collapsed in front of them, blocking their path.

Naritha and Obi-Wan turned on their heels to run back toward the door when they heard a loud shrieking sound.

The young woman heard a warning, then something heavy fell over her, dragging her down. She had barely time to realize the Jedi was atop of her, shielding her body with his own when something hit her on the head and suddenly everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

When Naritha regained consciousness, she was lying on her back, with her head slightly raised.

She had a pounding headache and she needed some time to realize her "pillow" were in reality Padawan Obi-Wan's legs.

The youth had been leaning forward at the waist, looking closely at her face, and when their eyes finally met, he smiled gently.

"Welcome back, My Lady. How do you feel?"

Naritha tried to sit up and grimaced, reclining again. "I am sore, as if a wall collapsed over me."

Obi-Wan's grin broadened. "It did."

It was then she remembered what had happened before she fainted. She remembered the earthquake, the desperate run to escape the crumbling building and the wall crushing down in front of them as they searched for a way out.

Her heart pounding with fear, Naritha ignored her sore muscles and sat up, looking around.

They were trapped in a portion of the corridor leading to the safety stairs. The ceiling had collapsed both in front and behind them, blocking them in a windowless rectangle of duracrete and bricks. The emergency lights were on and one of the lateral walls had lost part of its facing, baring a water-leaking pipe.

Naritha walked toward the pipe and cupped his hands to collect the water, and discovering it was clean and pure, she drank it to free her mouth and throat from the dust she had breathed in.

Feeling better, she returned near young Obi-Wan. The boy was sitting with back against a wall, holding his left arm tight against his body, as if he was nursing it. His face was covered with dust, and it made his blue-grey shine even more.

"Are you hurt, Obi-Wan?" Naritha asked kneeling at his side, remembering how he had protected her with his body.

"Yes, Milady, but it is nothing serious. My arm is broken in two points, but now that I know you are all right, I should be able to do some Force-healing and mend it."

"You can do that?" she enquired, genuinely interested. She knew so little about the Jedi powers.

"Yes, I can, but I will be in trance for at least a couple of hours. That's why I waited for you to regain your consciousness before attempting it, I did not want you to worry needlessly should you woke up and find me unresponsive."

Naritha smiled, moved by his consideration. "Very well, Obi-Wan. Go on, heal your arm. I will be fine."

The young Jedi nodded and closed his eyes, a look of concentration settling over his dirty features. Soon afterward his breath became deeper and slower, and his Force signature started to glow.

Naritha watched him, fascinated and basking in the serenity he was emitting, until her eyes widened in alarm.

All the Angarians are slightly Force-sensitive, not enough to become Jedi, but enough to form mental bonds. However, the only time a woman is able to sense another Force-signature so strongly is when her Receiving is about to begin, and her mind stretches out, searching for her mate.

Naritha's breath caught in her throat and she scrambled to her feet, backing away from him until she pressed against the opposite wall.

It could not be happening! Not now! That very morning her doctor had said her Receiving should not begin before a couple of days. He was an expert, so how could he have been so wrong?

_Calm down_, the young woman ordered to herself. _Maybe you are just overreacting. Maybe you can feel him only because his Force-signature is so much stronger than the Angarians' average ones_.

Naritha sat down, and took several deep and hopefully calming breaths.

Obi-Wan's manly scent invaded her senses, setting her nerves afire and tearing an anguished moan from her lips.

There were no more doubts: she had entered the Receiving and it would not take long before the need to mate would overcome her.

Naritha wondered how much time would take before someone found them and asked herself if she would be able to resist until it happened.

She moved to one of the heap of rubble blocking the corridor and started removing debris and broken bricks, throwing them aside. She willed herself to concentrate only on her work and on her need to reach Voltan, resolutely silencing the little voice whispering, "What will you do if you can't get out of here? What will you do if he is dead?"

-----

Two hours later, Obi-Wan resurfaced from the healing trance.

Naritha was showing her back to him but she sensed him open his eyes the very moment he did.

Her hearing, made sharper by her craving, heard the rustle of his clothes as he stretched his mended arm.

"What are you doing, My Lady?" he then asked.

She did not turn as she answered, "I-I am trying to open a passage. We cannot stay here waiting for rescue without doing anything. Maybe they won't even come for us…maybe they think we are dead…"

"My Master knows I am alive. We share a training bond with which we are able to sense each other's presence. He will lead the rescuers to our location."

"But what if he is trapped too!?" she said, more forcedly than intended.

Obi-Wan nodded. "You are right, My Lady. Let me help you."

"No!" She cried, wheeling around and stopping him in mid-move with an outstretched arm. "Stay where you are, Obi-Wan. Don't come any closer."

The boy's eyes widened at her tone. "My Lady?" he asked tentatively.

Naritha wondered briefly what to tell him and decided he deserved to know the truth, so that he could be prepared.

"How old are you, Obi-Wan?"

"I am 18," he answered promptly, although clearly perplexed by the question.

"Then I suppose you know everything about sexuality."

The poor boy flushed crimson and nodded. "Yes…it was taught at the Temple."

Naritha tried to ignore how innocent and charming he looked as he shifted his weight from a leg to the other and pressed on. "Did they teach you only your species' characteristics or did they tell you about other species too?"

"We are taught alien physiology too."

"Were the Angarians dealt with in the course?"

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed in concentration, and Naritha found very enchanting the way understanding crept over his face.

The boy's eyes widened and his mouth opened, but no words left it. He closed it, composed himself and tried again. "Are you telling me you are in your receptive time?" he said, sounding apparently very calm.

"Yes," she answered.

"Do you need to mate?"

"Not yet…but I will need it soon."

"How much time do we have to find your fiancé?"

Naritha was impressed by how in control Obi-Wan was. He had not giggled or smirked as the boys of his age usually do when confronted with a sexual issue. Instead he had understood at once the seriousness of the situation and she could see his quick brain was working frantically to find a solution.

"Four or five hours," she answered.

The youth pursed his lips and nodded curtly. "Then you need to be out of here by that time. Please My Lady, move away from there, I will continue to remove the debris."

Naritha did as she was told, and moved near the opposite wall as Obi-Wan began to work in earnest.

The following hours were among the most difficult of Naritha's life.

She felt physically ill, burning with a fever that threatened to consume her. Her glazed eyes never left Obi-Wan's form as he worked to free them.

The boy was tireless and efficient, and had taken only a pause to remove his tunics, a gesture that had caused a startle and an even greater bout of longing in her.

The sight of his bare back, of his muscles rippling under his pale, sweaty skin, made her almost dizzy with need.

Naritha just wanted to walk closer to him, to taste every inch of his exposed skin before stripping and claiming him.

She almost moaned aloud at the thought and she bit down hard on her arm, hoping the pain would distract her from her needs.

It did not work—if possible the pain excited her even more.

Naritha's confused mind finally realized she could not resist any more, the fever was escalating too quickly. She knew that no matter how hard Obi-Wan worked, he would not free her in time to avoid her falling into coma because of an unfulfilled Receiving. And even if he somehow managed to open a passage, there was the strong possibility Voltan might be dead or wounded or trapped somewhere.

Her survival instinct told her there was a way to put an end to her suffering. That there, only a few feet from her, there was a beautiful, young, healthy male, ready to satisfy her every need.

Her reason instead told her she had not the right to force her desires and the bond that would result from their mating over the courageous boy who had protected her so selflessly.

If they bonded, there would be no one else for both of them. The bond would make Obi-Wan impotent with everybody but her. If she acted as her body pushed her to do, she would take away his freedom and his right to bestow his love on a partner of his choice.

_It would be a rape_, she said to herself, hoping that harsh word would make her understand the seriousness of the act she would commit, but her survival instinct proved too strong for her to control it.

_It won't be a rape. My fever will make him burn as hot as I do_, she thought in an haze of red fog. _I will give him all the love he needs…I will cherish him…adore him…make him happy…I will have him_.

Almost without noticing she walked toward him and put a hand over his shoulder.

Obi-Wan turned around and looked at her, his eyes full of concern, "Milady?"

Naritha did not answer as she hungrily stared at his bare chest.

Awareness appeared on his face. "You are suffering, Naritha," he said softly, calling her by her name for the first time. "You need help."

She nodded, her hands twitching with the desire to pull him against her. "I need you, Obi-Wan…I am sorry…"

He shook his head. "Don't be. It is not your fault." He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, then added. "I am here; take what you need."

In Obi-Wan there was none of the thrill one might expect from an 18 years old boy who was going to be ravished by an older, more experienced woman. Instead there was serenity, acceptance, desire to help—and a genuine liking.

Naritha smiled in triumph and relief as she pulled his head down for a kiss and her fever engulfed both of them.

In the years that would follow, Naritha would always feel saddened she did not have clearer remembrance of her First Receiving.

If she closed her eyes, she would recall the memories of heated touches, of scalding tongues tasting sweaty skin, of her fingernails scratching Obi-Wan's back and sides as he moved over her. She could remember her scream when he took her for the first time and the wonder in his eyes when her supple flesh engulfed his hard one.

Naritha had not known, back then, she had been Obi-Wan's first, but she realized it when the bond between them was completed and she was able to see into his mind.

-----

Obi-Wan and Naritha spent days—they could not say how many – joining and resting, eating the ration bars he had in his belt and drinking water from the broken pipe.

They talked, but never discussed any important topic; it was like they had both decided to leave them for a later, quieter time.


	3. Chapter 3

Naritha's mating fever had almost ended when one day she was startled out her slumber by the sound of crumbling stones.

She and Obi-Wan sat up and covered their bodies with his robe, just in time to see two heads peek from the hole opened in the heap of rubble they had been excavating days before.

The heads belonged to her father and Master Jinn, and the relief on the Jedi's face quickly transformed in worry when he noticed the undressed state of his Padawan.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Reben Narvix-Dei was quicker.

"Naritha! You are safe, my darling! I feared the worst, but Master Jinn knew his apprentice was still alive and I hoped you were with him." The man paused then smiled and added softly. "You went through the Receiving while you were trapped here…are you all right? Is the fever gone?"

"Almost, Father. Obi-Wan helped me to survive it."

The Angarian man turned to face the boy and took one of the hands that were keeping up the robe covering the youth's chest.

"Revered Jedi," the man said, his eyes brimming with joy and gratitude. "I welcome you in my family. I am sure you will be happy to be my daughter's bondmate. She is such a wonderful woman-"

"Bondmate?" Obi-Wan exclaimed with a hint of panic, forgetting protocol and interrupting the Governor as he spoke.

"Yes," Naritha said, cupping one of his cheeks to make him face her. "We are now Force-bonded, Obi-Wan. It happened during our first joining."

"But-but I am a Jedi!" the boy almost sputtered, "I cannot be bonded with anyone! I just did this because I didn't want you to die!" His distress was more than evident as his scared eyes darted in his Master's direction, asking for reassurance.

Master Jinn folded his arms in the sleeves of his robe and spoke softly. "Calm down, Padawan. We will find a solution. Now dress up, we need to leave this place soon, for this wing of the Palace if not safe."

Obi-Wan nodded and stood up, walking around to collect his discarded uniform, his eyes firmly cast to the ground.

Naritha tried to reach him to offer him some support, to let him know she cared for him and that she knew the sacrifice she had forced over him, but his shields were firmly up.

She touched his arm, trying to comfort him in another way, but his eyes froze her.

There was such anguish, such distress, such misery in those blue-grey pools they made her heart constrict and, as he watched Obi-Wan disappear through the hole in the wall, Naritha could not help but murmur, "What have I done?"

After the rescue Naritha and Obi-Wan were led to the hospital for a check up. Once there they were separated and she was trusted into the care of her doctor, summoned there by her father.

She was poked, prodded and questioned and then, after the doctor had got back the results of her blood tests, she was administered an injection.

"What is it?" she asked, massaging her arm.

"It is just a pain killer," the physician answered, but Naritha could see he was lying from the way he was not looking at her.

She had barely the time to say "Why?" when her eyelids became too heavy and she slumped against the pillow.

The doctor removed her garment and made her comfortable on the bed and then left the room, but not before saying, "I am sorry Naritha, but this for your own good."

§

Naritha woke up feeling weak and a little nauseous. It took her a little time to understand what had happened and where she was and when her memory returned, her eyes searched the room in search of someone to talk with.

There was a robed, hooded figure sitting by the window and her heart rejoiced.

"Obi-Wan?" she called softly.

The robed figure stood up and she realized it was too tall to be her bondmate.

Master Jinn pushed down his hood and walked toward her, sitting down by her bedside.

"My Lady Naritha," he bowed his head in salute.

"Master Jinn," she said, licking her dry lips. "Where is Obi-Wan?"

The Jedi folded his arms in the sleeves of robe and answered, "He is currently flying to Coruscant."

"Coruscant?" Naritha exclaimed, rising to sit on the mattress. "He cannot go away! I need him and his home is here now!"

"No, My Lady," Master Jinn replied, his voice hard. "Obi-Wan Kenobi's home is not here. It is the Jedi Temple."

"But he is my bondmate! His place is near me."

Master Jinn ignored her comment and asked, "Tell me, My Lady, do you feel more than just possession for my Padawan? Do you care for him?"

"Of course I care for him!" Naritha exclaimed, outraged. Did that man think her to be insensitive?!

"Then you have to understand Obi-Wan's life is not here on Angar. His life is among the Jedi, doing what he has been born to do." Master Jinn paused and when he looked at her his eyes were full of emotions. "My Padawan is the closest thing I have to son and I know his dream is to become a Knight. He has an amazing talent and I know one day he will be a great Jedi—a great master. He was terrified when he discovered he is now trapped by this bond, for Jedi must be free from any attachment."

"Are you suggesting we try to break the bond?" Naritha was appalled by the mere idea. The bond between a man and a woman was sacred for the Angarians.

"No, I am not. A Jedi Healer has been there to examine the bond and she has said it is unbreakable."

"A Jedi Healer? And when was she here?" Naritha asked, more than a little unsettled so much had transpired while she was asleep.

"She was there two days ago. Milady, you might not realize it, but you have been sleeping for the past five days."

"Five days!?!"

"Yes. Your doctor gave you a powerful sedative, so what you would not suffer any discomfort as you Receiving wore off." Master Jinn explained. He paused then added, "I could not allow you and Obi-Wan to spend more time together until I knew for sure what kind of bond you share."

Naritha felt a bout of irritation. How did he dare to come between her and her bondmate? But then she realized he was just worried for his Padawan and calmed down. "And now that you know? What will happen to us?"

"The Jedi Council has decided that Obi-Wan won't be dismissed by the Order despite his bond you. He will continue his training with me and he will be taught to block and silence the bond, so that it won't disturb his concentration."

"What about me? What about my life?" Naritha exclaimed, desperation creeping in her tone. "I-I have come to love Obi-Wan…I have been in his mind and I have seen what a wonderful, caring young man he is. How could I live without him now?"

"If you love him as you say, you will learn to stay away from him, at least for a while."

"For a while?" Naritha repeated, hopeful.

"Well, you will be able to correspond with him after he has learned how to cope with the situation. As I have said, the bond cannot be broken, but you will be taught to control it, so you won't miss your bondmate's presence. Your doctor says it is even possible you will be able to have a fulfilling sentimental life with a man of your choice and the Council has assured our father Obi-Wan will be allowed to come to you for your next Receiving."

Naritha could not believe what she was hearing. Master Jinn's tone was gentle, but could not disguise the harsh reality. Obi-Wan did not want to have anything to do with her. He felt trapped by their bond and would return on Angar only to "service" her during her next Receiving.

The young woman was engulfed by desperation. This was not the life had wanted. It would have been best if she had died for an unconsummated mating fever…

"Don't even think it, Milady," Master Jinn said sharply. "It would have been such a useless waste; your planet and your father need you. As for Obi-Wan, I am sure that when he will be more settled, he will be allowed to contact you and you will be able to come to know each other better. He will never give you his love for it is forbidden to Jedi, but he will certainly give you his friendship and trust me, you would never find a better friend than him."

Naritha nodded wordlessly, not really convinced.

It seemed that everything had been already decided for her and for Obi-Wan. She had heard the verbs the Jedi had used-- allowed, been able, forbidden – and she wondered how much choice the High Council and his master had given to her bondmate.

Whatever the case, there was nothing she could do to change the situation. It seemed evident her father and her doctor had agreed with the Jedi, hence the only thing she could do was to go on with her life as best as she could.


	4. Chapter 4

THE SECOND RECEIVING (32BBY)

Naritha Narvix-Dei was completing her first year as Angar Governess when she felt the first symptoms her body was about to enter her second Receiving.

She felt no joy when she realized why her breasts were swollen and her back sore.

The woman had somehow hoped that, given the strange nature of her bond, she would have been spared the indignity of having to call her almost-estranged bondmate and summon him to Angar to service her as a stud does with a mare in heat.

Naritha's relationship with Obi-Wan Kenobi was almost non-existent, for despite Master Jinn's reassurances, they had not even become friends.

In fact, the only time they had had a honest, deep conversation, several months after he had returned to Coruscant, Naritha had learned that while Obi-Wan did not intellectually blame her for doing what was necessary to save her life, emotionally he resented her for tying him to her.

It had turned out that a little time before going to Angar, Obi-Wan had discovered that he was in love with a fellow Padawan, and she with him. He and the girl, whose name was Siri, had decided not to pursue their affair for neither of them wished to be banished from the Jedi Order, but deep in his heart Obi-Wan had harboured the hope that one day they would be allowed to be together as they wished.

"I know it was probably just a dream" Obi-Wan had told Naritha, his eyes full of pain, "but it was comforting. Now, I can no longer even dream to be with Siri, for my life and love are no longer mine to give."

_And this is all your fault_, Naritha had completed for him in the silence that had followed his revelations.

After that conversation, they had kept their contacts at minimum, limiting them to well-wishing messages for their naming days and for some interplanetary festivities.

Naritha had thrown herself in her job and found a measure of contentment in devoting her life to the good of her citizens.

When she had some free time, she went to visit her younger brother and spent some hours playing with her nieces, before returning home with a heavy heart.

She had not become pregnant during her First Receiving, and her doctor had informed her it was unlikely it would happen in the future. Obi-Wan looked very similar to the Angarians, but his genetic material contained certain differences that made it incompatible with hers.

It was because of all these factors that, when Naritha understood her second Receiving was approaching, she ran to her doctor, asking him if it would not be possible to be administered the same sedative he had given her during the last days of her first receptive time.

"No," the physician answered most emphatically, "those drugs worked only because the mating-fever was already wearing off by itself. The medicines did not make it go away, they just speeded up the process. The only way to purge and survive the fever is to mate, Naritha, and you know it as well as me. I suggest you to contact your bondmate as soon as possible. I give you about ten days before the fever explodes."

Naritha could only nod and return, weary-hearted, to her home.

Once there, she sat in front of her holocom and composed herself, before switching it on and dealing the Jedi Temple code number.

A few minutes later a young face appeared on her screen. "Jedi Temple Reception. This is Padawan Riley. How can I help you, Madam?"

"Can you put me in contact with Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Naritha asked, swallowing her nervousness.

"Padawan Kenobi is out of planet with Master Jinn. Do you wish to leave him a message?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Give me a moment please, there is another person I wish to talk with." Naritha searched into her agenda and found the names of the Healers she had been instructed to contact should Obi-Wan being away when she called. "May I speak with the Hall of Healers?"

"Yes, Madam. Wait a minute."

The call was redirected and a Corellian male appeared on the screen. "Master Healer Arazi speaking. How can I help you?"

"Master Healer Arazi, I am Naritha Narvix-Dei, Padawan Kenobi's bondmate. I have been told to contact you should Obi-Wan not been at home when I need him."

The Healer nodded. "Yes, you did well, lady Narvix-Dei. You were instructed to follow this procedure because the Padawans working in the reception hall do not know the personal codes of the Jedi operating on the field, while we healers have access to them. I will contact Padawan Kenobi at once and I tell him to travel to Angar as soon as possible."

Naritha smiled, feeling her nervousness recede. "Thank you very much, Master Healer Arazi."

The man bowed and closed the communication.

Naritha stood up and moved to her chamber, feeling suddenly exhausted. She stretched on her bed and fell immediately asleep.

When she woke up a couple of hours later, she found an audio message from Obi-Wan waiting for her in her com-unit. It had been sent from the Royal Palace of Theed on Naboo, and it informed Naritha her bondmate would arrive on Angar two days later.

§

Two days later, Naritha found herself pacing back and forth Angar City main landing platform

waiting for her bondmate.

The wait was over when a red diplomatic cruiser landed and Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped down the short a ramp, covered head to foot with his brown robe and carrying a small leather bag.

He walked toward Naritha and stopped in front of her, bowing deeply after pulling back his hood.

"Governess Narvix-Dei."

She cringed at his formality, but decided to greet him in kind.

"Revered Jedi Kenobi, welcome back to Angar."

He nodded and for several moments they stood there, looking at each other, clearly ill at ease.

Obi-Wan had changed in the past seven years. The slender boy had transformed into the handsome young man she had thought he would become. His face had lost that last of his childish features, although his cheeks were still round. His body had filled out quite nicely and he was surrounded by an air of confidence. His ginger hair was still short, but she noticed the braid was missing.

Naritha had read somewhere the braid symbolized the status of apprentice, hence the lack of it should mean the attainment of knighthood.

"Are you a knight now, Obi-Wan?" she asked trying to put him at ease.

"Yes."

"Congratulations. When were you promoted?" Naritha insisted, truly happy he had finally realized his dream.

"Three days ago."

His tone was so completely devoid of joy and she felt a shiver run along her spine. Something was very wrong, she could see it Obi-Wan's clouded eyes, but no matter how much she tried, his mental shields were to strong for her to reach for him through their bond.

"I suppose Master Jinn is very proud of you," Naritha continued in her attempt to make him comfortable. "All those years ago he told me you are like a son for him."

His lower lip trembled and he murmured, "Qui-Gon is dead. He has was killed on Naboo five days ago."

"Oh."

Naritha closed her eyes briefly, silently berating fate for being so cruel.

After learning Obi-Wan would arrive a few days before the Receiving would begin, she had made plans to take him away from the city, to the small retreat her family owned in the lake district. She had hoped that spending some time together in a relaxing, beautiful place would have helped them to become closer before the mating fever crushed over them. She had pictured them hiking among the trees, swimming in the lake and conversing in front of the fireplace.

But now she knew all her plans were to be cancelled. Not only was her bondmate there just out of duty, but he was also mourning the death of the man that had been like a father for many years.

Naritha had little doubts Obi-Wan was resenting her with all his being.

"I am sorry, Obi-Wan," she said in earnest, looking straight at his eyes. "I am sorry for Master Jinn's death, and I am sorry for obliging you to come here when it is the last thing you want. I am sorry to force my nature over you. If I could just go back to seven years ago, then-"

Obi-Wan put his fingers on her lips, preventing her from saying more.

"Don't," he whispered. "Don't blame yourself so much. We are what the Force made us, and it is not your fault if your body woke up just now. I am well aware I am not the only one suffering because of this bond. You are a wonderful woman and you deserve a real bondmate, someone able to love you as you merit. I am sorry, really sorry, I cannot be what you need me to be-"

This time it was Naritha that silenced him, when she heard his voice break. His shields were slipping and she was aware the pain he felt because of his master's death was making him overtly emotional. She did not want to risk he would later feel embarrassed.

Naritha took Obi-Wan by the wrist and murmured, "Come with me. Let's go away from this place. My apartment is very close, and you are obviously tired. You need to rest before we face…other matters."

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and silently followed her toward the exit.


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, Naritha turned in her bed for the umpteenth time.

She was restless, her body excited by her bondmate's presence. While she had not yet entered in the Receiving, she was aware that, once again, the fever was going to begin before the scheduled time. She distractedly wondered if it was her body that liked to go faster than the others, or if her doctor was not able to correctly read the symptoms.

Whatever the case, a part of Naritha wished nothing more than to walk to the room where Obi-Wan was sleeping, slide into his bed and make wild, passionate love to him.

The other, instead, thought it would be best to wait a day more, to give him time to recover from his travel and to create some kind of emotional connection between them. How could she pretend to gain his affection if she jumped on him the very night he had arrived?

Obi-Wan was mourning. His pain was deep and strong and she would no doubt need to help him to get him interested in the mating. She needed some time to convince him to lower his shields, so she could transmit some of her passion…

A muffled noise broke the stillness of the night.

Naritha tensed her ears, trying to discover what it was. It did not take her long to understand it was the sound of someone weeping.

Obi-Wan.

Without thinking twice, Naritha jumped out of her bed, put on a robe and went toward his room.

She gently knocked on the door and, not getting any response, she opened it and slipped inside the chamber.

Obi-Wan was laying on the bed, curled onto his right side. His broad back was naked and shook with his painful sobs.

He was a picture of such, utter misery, Naritha could not resist. She kicked away her slippers and crawled on the bed, spooning behind him, and gathering his form in her arms.

Obi-Wan showed no reaction at her touch, and she did not know if she had to be happy for he was not rejecting her or be worried because he did not seen to be aware she was there with him.

"Shh…" Naritha whispered, running her hand up and down his back, as her mother did to her when she was a child. She offered him all the comfort she could, and did not try to soothe him with empty words. She knew there was nothing more trite and unfeeling than saying "I know what you feel" when in reality you have not the slightest idea.

Suddenly Obi-Wan turned in Naritha's arms and pressed his tear-streaked face into her breasts.

Her breath caught in her throat at the unexpected touch, but she refused to act as her body would have liked.

Obi-Wan was not trying to begin anything, he was just reacting out of instinct, searching the comfort of a motherly boson as every small child does. His shields slipped and her mind was washed with his inner torment.

"Shh…" she repeated, pulling him closer, her mouth close to his hair. "Let it go Obi-Wan…let it go."

He pulled back slightly, his breath coming in uneven gasps, and locked his reddened eyes with hers, his fist clutching the fabric of her robe.

"The pain never goes away…I am not able release it into the Force…I cannot concentrate…" he murmured, his voice barely recognizable, "…help me to make it go away…help me to forget…please…"

Obi-Wan ground his pelvis against her own and she gasped at the feel of his hardness.

This was not how Naritha had envisioned the beginning of her second Receiving, but since he was here to give her what she needed, it was only right she did the same for him.

Obi-Wan searched a way to forget his pain—and she would give him just that.

The mating-fever lasted four days and just as it happened the previous time, they spent all the time making love, resting, eating and visiting the fresher.

They seldom talked, but communicated using their fully opened bond, moving their first steps to transform their relationship into something more than mere obligation. They shared thoughts and feelings, jokes and childhood memories, and the night Obi-Wan showed her how Qui-Gon had died, Naritha almost thanked the gods aloud.

The thought her bondmate felt so comfortable with her to share such a memory filled her with love and hope.

Love, for the extraordinary man Obi-Wan was. She had never known anybody as gentle, generous, compassionate and willing to help as he was.

Hope, for the development of their relationship. Naritha was aware they could never have a "normal" life as the other married couples. Obi-Wan was a Jedi, and a very good one too. His life was spent doing his duty to the Republic and training the child trusted to him by his dying master. But that did not mean they could not keep more in contact, and maybe visit each other now and then.

Naritha made her feelings and hopes known to her bondmate during their last day together, after the fever had gone, and they were sprawled on her plush divan, recovering from their exertions.

Obi-Wan listened to her words, then looked at her with his clear, sincere eyes.

"I care for you too, my dear lady, and I too wish to keep more in contact with you, but I cannot promise you much more. The Jedi Code forbids attachments, and even if our situation is quite peculiar, I do not wish to raise concerns in the Council, nor I want to feel as if I am breaking my vows to the Order."

Naritha nodded. "I understand, and I don't wish to put you in a difficult position; it is already complex enough. I just wish you will allow to be part of your life, Obi-Wan, as you are part of mine."

"That is something I can most certainly promise you, Naritha." Obi-Wan's took her hand and brought it to his lips. "I will keep in touch as much as possible and I will try to be there for you every time you need or wish to talk with me. I will be there for you."

"As I will be here for you. Always."


	6. Chapter 6

THE THIRD RECEIVING (25BBY)

The seven years that followed the Second Receiving were much better than the seven that had preceded it.

Obi-Wan kept his promise and he and Naritha stayed in close contact—at least as far as it was possible while living two completely different lives.

They regularly communicate via holocom, sometimes just to say "Hello, how are you doing?", other times to engage in long conversations that lasted hours.

They discovered to a have a common interest in history, philosophy and literature and were able to debate an author's finest points or faults well into the night.

They talked basically about everything except for politics. Obi-Wan had candidly admitted he did not trust the politicians and given her experience with them, Naritha could not help but agree with him, even if she dared to suggest he made an exception for her. Her request was met by a hearty laugh and a murmured "Of course!"

They also shared details about their everyday lives and, in due time, Naritha became so familiar with the Jedi Temple routine and facilities it felt like she lived there too.

However, what made her happier was how Obi-Wan let her see glimpses of the man behind the Jedi Master. Yes, she had already seen him bared from any restraint. She has seen him in the throes of passion and had held him as he wept his inconsolable grief, but on those occasion Obi-Wan had not been himself. They were exceptions, not the rule. Now instead she came to know him as he really was. A dedicated Jedi that tried to do his job as best he could.

The task of teaching child so early in his life was a great responsibility, especially because his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker was considered to be somehow special.

Obi-Wan was sometimes unsure of his ability to deal with an hyperactive, bright child and since he knew Naritha had some experience with her nieces, he often asked "Am I doing the right thing, Naritha? Am I too strict? Am I too lenient?"

When it happened, she would ask him to illustrate her the problem and the solution he saw for it, and then she would give him her sincere opinion.

Sometime Obi-Wan would follow her advice, sometimes he would not, but no matter how it ended, Naritha was always glad to have been asked to help. In a certain way, training Anakin was the closest thing to raising a child either of them would get. It felt nice to be able to share some of the responsibility between them.

Naritha was not only captivated by her bondmate's inner beauty, but also by his outer looks. The day he contacted her after returning from a long mission sporting a neatly trimmed beard, was the day she felt like thanking the gods she was born a woman.

Confident in their growing friendship, Naritha dared to make her appreciation known to Obi-Wan, and enjoyed the way his cheeks reddened. It was the first time she had been able to make him blush since the day she had questioned him about his sexual education.

That thought led her to recall their time in the blocked corridor and for the first time she realized how lucky she had been things had gone as they did. Her relationship with Obi-Wan was not easy, but it was worth every single worry or moment of loneliness she had. Had she bonded with Voltan, she would have led a normal life, perhaps she would be a mother by now, but she was sure it would have not been as fulfilling as her current existence was. As her father often said, the things one has to fight for are those one appreciates more.

§

By the time Naritha had the chance to travel to Coruscant for official business regarding Angar, she was aware she was totally in love with her bondmate, prey to a need that had nothing to do with the Receivings.

However, her hopes for an intimate reunion with Obi-Wan were dashed by the fact they could not manage to spend more than ten minutes alone; there was always someone in the way.

She was surrounded by a large entourage and when she was finally able to take the visit he had arranged for her at the Jedi Temple, she discovered Master Yoda – a small green creature that talked in a strange way—had appointed himself as her guide, while "Master Obi-Wan his teaching duties continues".

However not even that disappointment managed to dampen her awe and amazement as she walked along the high-ceilinged halls of the Temple.

Naritha's Force-sensitivity was low, but her soul soaked in the serenity and the calm that permeated the venerable building.

It was amazing and she found the time to tell it to Obi-Wan during the few minutes Yoda left them alone and before Anakin stormed on them after completing one of his classes and accompanied them to the commissary where they had their lunch.

In the precise moment Naritha's eyes posed on the blond-haired young boy she had somehow helped to raise in the previous three years, she felt a sense of uneasiness crept inside her.

Anakin, to whom she was introduced as his Master's "good friend Naritha", had a way of looking at her she did not like. In truth she could not pinpoint exactly what it was. The boy was courteous with her and respectful with his Master. She could only think she did not like how intense he looked, or how prone to lose his control he was, or how possessively he referred to _**his**_master, or how arrogant he sometimes was.

Whatever the reason, from that moment on, Naritha offered stricter pieces of advice when Obi-Wan asked her an opinion about Anakin's education, in the hope they would be able to tame the wild streak she had sensed in the boy.

§

Naritha's and Obi-Wan's Third Receiving was their happiest so far.

Sensing her growing agitation through their bond, the Jedi Knight managed to convince the Council to grant him an immediate leave, so that he could travel to Angar in advance and spend some time with his bondmate, and regain some emotional connection with her before the fever forced them to mate.

Naritha left her aides to care for her office and travelled with Obi-Wan to the Lake District and to the simple but comfortable retreat her family owned there.

The cottage was made of wood, with a porch that overlooked one of the lakes. It was surrounded by a thick pine-trees wood inhabited by a great variety of wildlife.

There, alone in that beautiful, peaceful place, immersed in what Obi-Wan called Living Force, Naritha was able to see her bondmate as never before.

For the first time since she had met him, he discarded his Jedi uniform to wear civilian clothes and let go part of his usual solemnity to behave like the young man he still was.

He splashed Naritha with water as she sunbathed on the lakeshore; he dared her to be faster than him as they swam; he climbed on the trees and targeted her with tiny berries as she walked in the wood. But he also presented her with bouquets of freshly-picked flowers and took her to dine in a very cosy restaurant in a nearby village.

Obi-Wan was always smiling and full of energy, happy to be free of responsibilities for the first time since he could remember. Of course, he kept in contact with Anakin and spent hours in meditation, but for most of the time he simply enjoyed himself.

Naritha thanked the gods every day for that joyful time, and she willed her body not to succumb too soon to the mating fever. She thought there was much more intimacy in an evening spent outdoors, sitting on the porch steps with her head resting on Obi-Wan's shoulder as he coaxed a wild animal closer, than in all the sex they had done during their previous Receivings.

However she could not stave off the inevitable and one week after their arrival at the cottage, her body told her the time had come.

They often made love outdoors, rolling onto the soft grass, their cries of fulfilment scaring away animals and birds. It was after one of these encounters, as they rested and let the warm breeze dry the sweat on their bodies, that Naritha caught a stray thought in Obi-Wan's mind.

//I love you Naritha.//

//I love you too// She sent back, causing him to give her a shocked glance.

"You heard it?" He asked aloud, turning on his side to face her.

"Yes, Obi-Wan." She paused before adding, "You don't know how much I longed to hear those four words."

She smiled and he grinned back.

"I am sorry I made you wait so long, but it has taken time for me to first admit I love you and then understand this is not the obsessive attachment the Code forbids."

Naritha nodded and leaned forward to kiss his bearded cheek. "I know it was not easy for you. You were so young when we bonded, completely unprepared to cope with the consequences of your helping me. I confess I am surprised you never told me "I hate you"."

"Jedi don't hate, you know it," he commented quietly.

"You know what I mean. I could have had destroyed your life, and certainly made it much more difficult and yet you never held it against me."

"Because it was not really your fault."

Naritha smiled and murmured, "You are the best bondmate I could ask for."

"And you are the best bondmate a Jedi Knight who should not have attachments could ask for."

They laughed together, then looked at each other, communicating using their eyes and their minds. Soon afterward, the fever made them burn again, and they abandoned themselves to the whirlwind of their passion.


	7. Chapter 7

THE FOURTH RECEIVING ( 18BBY)

The time span between Naritha's Third and Fourth Receiving could be divided in two parts. One full of happiness, the other full of worry, desperation and darkness, as the world they had known ceased to exist.

The first three years were extremely happy and emotionally fulfilling for Obi-Wan and Naritha. They talked to each other every day when Obi-Wan was on Coruscant, more sporadically when he was out on a mission. He always kept their bond open so that, even if they could not communicate with it due to the great distance between them, they could at least feel each other's presence and know they were both all right.

They managed to meet three times, twice on Coruscant and one on Ansion, where Obi-Wan and Anakin had been sent to settle a border dispute.

Skywalker was now a young man that chaffed under his master's restraints and, in Naritha's eyes, had little of the self discipline and selfless attitude her bondmate had sported when he was his age.

In particular, he seemed not to grasp how hard it had and still was for Obi-Wan to cope with a bond he had not wanted and had been forced on him just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong moment.

During the time together, Naritha overheard the Padawan accuse his master of being a hypocrite because he preached to Anakin with the Code's dictates while he broke them every day.

Obi-Wan would often be in low spirits after such discussions, blaming himself for not being a good master, because Anakin was arrogant, too sure of his powers, always ready to ignore his warnings to do as he pleased.

In those occasions, Naritha would try to reassure her mate the boy was young, and that he would mature and come around, but she could never completely silence that voice inside her that said the boy was dangerous and difficult to control.

§

The leave on Ansion marked the end of the happiest years of Naritha's bonded life.

Soon afterward, the Separatist Party, which had begun to make its presence known a few years before, declared war to the Republic, and threw the galaxy into a spiral of hate, destruction and fear.

The most competent Jedi were appointed Generals of the Republic and put in charge of the Clone Army.

Obi-Wan was among them and from that moment on, Naritha heard and saw him less and less frequently.

Naritha had cringed when she had heard about his new appointment, for Obi-Wan was a peaceful man that used violence only as last resort when everything else failed, while now he was expected to plot sieges and lead his clones in battles that would cause hundred, thousand of dead.

As the war raged, Angar was not directly involved in the hostilities, but its economy suffered because of the restrictions put on the commercial routes.

Naritha and her diplomatic advisors worked hard to keep the planet neutral and its people safe and well, and she encouraged them to be strong and optimistic, putting on a confident front, even if inside she was as scared as she had never been before.

She was worried for her planet and for her bondmate, whose name was often in the news.

Perfectly in line with his personality, Obi-Wan had come to be known as "The Negotiator", for his ability in resolving critical situations using diplomacy instead of violence.

Naritha always smiled when she heard about The Negotiator's exploits, but her smile was a sad one, because Obi-Wan's success meant that as soon as he completed a mission, he was sent to deal with another crisis.

Since her bondmate was afraid to attract the Separatists' attention on Angar, should one of his messages being intercepted, he kept his communications with her as brief and scarce as possible.

He usually called in the aftermath of a battle, to reassure her she was fine, and every time he did, Naritha's heart constricted at the pain and exhaustion she saw on his face and heard in his voice.

Jedi were guardians of peace, not warriors and the war was straining them, both as individuals and members of the Order.

Every time Obi-Wan contacted her, Naritha tried to cheer him up, but he could always see the worry behind every one of her forced smiles, and many a time he ended up comforting her.

The war raged for three years and each day Naritha prayed it would be the last one, but when the end finally arrived it was not the happy occasion she had expected it to be.

§

Naritha awoke in the middle of the night, her heart pounding and her breath laboured.

She felt at once something terrible had happened and, almost instinctively, she reached out to the bond to check Obi-Wan's condition.

She barely had the time to sense he was alive but in great distress that their connection was brusquely interrupted.

"Nooo!" she screamed in the darkened room, and then took several uneven gasps as panic rose to almost suffocate her.

Forcing herself to calm down, she probed the bond and realize it had not been ripped by Obi-Wan's death as she had feared; it was still there, but completely blocked on her bondmate's side.

The discovery reassured her, but it also raised the question why Obi-Wan had blocked the bond so suddenly. Why he had interrupted the connection between them that had been left open for almost ten years?

Naritha concentrated and tried to reach beyond the barrier, but Obi-Wan's mental shields were too strong for her.

Closing her eyes in search of a possible explanation for her bondmate's behaviour, she thought back to the last time she had heard from him.

It had happened two days before, when she had returned from a walk to find a recorded message Obi-Wan had sent her while she was out.

"_Hello dearest,"_ he had said smiling, _"I am sorry you are not home. I would have loved to see you. But if things go as we hoped, we might be able to see each other in person very soon. I am leaving for Utapau within twenty minutes. General Grievous has been spotted there and his elimination would leave the Separatists without military leaders, thus obliging them to ask for a truce."_ Obi-Wan had sighed and briefly looked away from the screen before adding, _"There are also other questions worrying the Council, but I hope there will be no need to explain them to you for it would mean our concerns had been for nothing. Now I salute you, my Naritha. May the Force and my love be with you."_

Naritha mused about the message and then decided to switch on the holonet, to see if the news reported something about Utapau and General Grievous.

The first image that appeared on the screen made her breath caught in her throat, as if someone had just punched her in the stomach.

The Jedi Temple was burning.

Tall flames and a thick column of smoke rose from the ancient building, while an emotionless voice-over reported that the Jedi had tried to seize control of the Senate by attempting to kill Chancellor Palpatine. The Chancellor however, had been able to escape and to retain his power and had ordered an immediate retaliation against the rebels.

The voice-over concluded by announcing all the Jedi were now considered enemies of the Republic, their presence on a planet to be immediately reported to the central government on Coruscant.

Naritha needed time to grasp the meaning of those words, but the more she mulled over them, the more she believed the Jedi couldn't have rebelled against the Republic. Obi-Wan had explained to her more than once that the Jedi were not interested in power or wealth, and that their only desire was to perform their duty to preserve the Republic they had been guarding for millennia.

If the Jedi had indeed gone against the Chancellor Palpatine – and she was not sure it was really so- then they had to have a good reason to do so.

Naritha knew from the Angar senator appointed to Coruscant that some groups of politicians had started to question the Chancellor's behaviour and all the special powers he had seized during the war, and she would not be too surprised if it turned out Palpatine had been the one staging a coup.

A few hours later Naritha's suspicions were confirmed when Senator Vinder sent her an urgent communication, to inform her that in a still on-going Senate meeting Palpatine had declared the Republic had ceased to exist and been transformed into a Galactic Empire.

Naritha's blood left her face at the news, but she tried not to betray her shock, nor to voice her indignation. She trusted Vinder, they had been friends since their university studies, but she was not sure it was safe to let her feelings known on an open channel. Gods only knew who might intercept the transmission.

As she switched off the holocom, she decided it was time began to use the secret code her advisors had elaborated, but never utilized, during the war to encrypt all the transmissions to Coruscant.

Naritha barely slept in the following days. She was worried for Obi-Wan and she spent hours prodding her bond in the hope he would respond, but it was to no avail.

She visited her doctor and had him examine the bond, but he was not able to give her a definitive answer.

The bond was neatly blocked, but given the mental discipline of a Jedi, it was impossible to say if it was just a temporary barrier or if Obi-Wan had created a block not to let her have the experience of a bond truncated by death.

"We will know for sure only when you enter your next Receiving," the physician said, looking at her straight in the eye. "If your bondmate is still alive, your mental call will be able to break the barrier to reach him. If he is dead, them your call will hit against the barrier and be deflected. In the meantime, my friend, I advise you to begin to look for a new partner…to be ready if the worst has happened."

Naritha nodded distractedly, fully knowing she would not search for another mate. She was aware she would never allow another man to replace Obi-Wan. She would wait for her fever to begin and trust her life to destiny. It had brought her and Obi-Wan together, and it would decide her fate. Had her bondmate died, then she would let nature run its course and she would die for an unfulfilled fever, so to able to join him in the netherworld of the Force.


	8. Chapter 8

The following months were the hardest of her life.

The bond remained silent as the Empire tightened its grip on the galaxy, crushing every one who tried to protest against the occupation forces Palpatine had been dislocating in several systems.

One by one several civil rights and personal freedoms were eliminated under the pretence of ensuring more order, and the press was censored, the people fed with only the news the Empire wished them to know.

Fear of retaliation and occupation spread like wildfire, amplified by the deeds committed by Lord Vader, black-clad and masked Emperor's second in command. Nobody knew who he really was, and nobody cared to, for nobody wanted to get too close to him. It was murmured he was able to choke persons only by watching them, and it was well documented he was the one the Emperor had sent to track and kill the few remaining Jedi hiding across the galaxy.

More then once Naritha was tormented by a nightmare featuring Vader killing Obi-Wan and felt a certain degree of comfort every time Senator Vinder reported her Obi-Wan's name was still listed among the 'criminals' the Empire was looking for, even if it meant he probably had a lot of bounty hunters on his tracks.

§

About a year after the rise of the Empire, Naritha felt the first stirring of the Fourth Receiving.

The awareness she might be approaching the end of her life was short lived, for even before she could start to get really worried, the barrier blocking the bond came down and Obi-Wan's voice filled her mind.

//Go to Alderaan. Contact Bail Organa. He knows who you are; he will see to your safety until my arrival.//

Then the contact was terminated, as suddenly as it had begun, leaving Naritha shaken to her core.

Her mind replayed Obi-Wan's words again and again, analyzing his tone. She had heard no anxiety in it. No love. No welcome. No nothing. He had been emotionless—and it scared her to no end.

During the long months elapsed since the Jedi Purge, she had dreamed and hoped and imagined about hearing Obi-Wan's voice through the bond, but now that it had finally happened, she found herself afraid to meet the man that had spoken.

However her body's condition and her desire to know what had happened to her mate and the Jedi made it impossible for her to refuse his summon on Alderaan.

Thus Naritha contacted Bail Organa – whom she had met years before on Coruscant—and arranged one visit, officially to re-negotiate the terms of an existing commercial treaty between Angar and Alderaan.

§

On Alderaan, Naritha was lodged in the Royal Palace as a guest of the Queen and her consort.

She spent time with the sovereign and played with Leia, the small princess and heir to the throne.

The child was just one year old, but she already had a clear mind about who was in charge around the household—herself.

Mindful of not raising any suspicions, Naritha and Bail Organa went on with their charade regarding the treaty, and indeed met several times to discuss it.

Organa was still a member of the Senate, but no matter how much she tried to make him talk, he refused to tell her what had really happened to the Jedi. He kept silent even when he went to visit her in the privacy of her rooms, and the name of Obi-Wan was never mentioned, so afraid the Senator was to be overheard or spied.

The day Naritha felt her fever was about to begin, she faked, on Organa's suggestion, to have caught some nasty bug, and fainted in the conference room.

She was carried back to her chambers, and the court's physician, a good friend of the senator and evidently aware of what was about to happen, diagnosed her with a bad case of Corellian flu and ordered her to stay in bed and isolated, lest she cause an epidemic inside the palace.

The meetings for the treaty were suspended and Naritha was left alone but for the doctor's visits, as she waited her bondmate.

-----

Obi-Wan appeared in her rooms around midnight.

Naritha was still awake, sitting on the couch reading and her head snapped up when she saw him standing near the threshold. She had barely time to stand up and say his name, then he was on her in two steps, silencing her with a bruising kiss. Then he pulled back, and grabbing her by an arm, he dragged her toward the bedroom.

He did not say a word as he all but ripped her nightgown and robe and pushed her until she was stretched out on the bed.

Naritha watched his tense face and stormy eyes as he removed his clothes, and a bout of fear assaulted her.

She tried to suffocate it, but it was not easy. Obi-Wan had never been so aggressive before, not even during the heat of the previous Receivings, when his body had burned like her own.

He had always been gentle, considerate, completely different from the man facing her now. A man whose unkempt hair and beard, pale face and too prominent ribs made her heart twist with pain.

"What happened to you my love?" she asked softly and she saw his jaw tense, as if he was struggling to control himself.

He did not answer with words to her question, but their bond pulsed with his raw, barely contained emotions and Naritha suddenly realized Obi-Wan's aggressive stance was only his desperate attempt to keep his pain at bay.

As had happened after Qui-Gon's death, Obi-Wan wanted to lose himself in her, to forget his pain and the life that had been ripped from him.

Naritha felt this and much more, and her heart melted. Her fear disappeared and she opened her arms, welcoming him, ready to give him what he needed even if it meant to let him hurt her.

They never arrived at that.

After a few rough touches, the sweet, loving words Naritha whispered in his ears seemed to reach Obi-Wan. His grips on her relaxed and his hands became gentler and more loving, but also tentative, as if he was not sure she was really there…as if he was unsure she was still alive.

§

They loved several times that night, without talking, letting their actions speak for them.

Dawn surprised them tired but awake with Obi-Wan lying with his head of Naritha's breast as she caressed his hair. It was then that he told her what had happened to him and to the Jedi Order. Naritha listened with increasing anguish as the story of Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side unfolded in front of her.

Obi-Wan completely opened his mind to her, letting her see and feel everything he had seen and felt from the moment his Clone Troops had rebelled against him on Utapau.

He showed her the agonizing, long walk he and Master Yoda had to take across the devastated Temple, passing by the corpses of the men, women and children that had been their family.

He showed her the horror he had felt when watching the security recordings he had seen Anakin kill in cold blood a group of children. He made her feel the desperation he had felt when he had realized the man he had raised as a son and loved as a brother had turned into a Sith.

He transported her to the molten hell that had been Mustafar, and made see every moment of his fratricide duel with Anakin, and the heartbreaking pain he had felt when the yellow-eyed monster that had been his Padawan had shouted at him "I hate you!"

//I keep on hearing it in my nightmares// Obi-Wan said in a small mental voice. //Since my arrival on Tatooine, I can count on my hands the number of times I have been able to sleep a whole night.//

//Tatooine? Why did you choose to hide there?// Naritha asked.

//Because Anakin hates that planet and because his stepfamily lives there. I took Luke to them.//

//Luke?//

//One of Anakin and Padme's twins. Leia, Bail's daughter is the other. After Padmé's death, we had to hide them. We could not risk Vader sensing them…//

//Why Vader should be interested in the children?//

Obi-Wan laughed bitterly. //Because Vader is what remains of Anakin Skywalker. He did not die on Mustafar. I was not strong enough to strike the killing blow…I let him live…and here there is the result. This is another mistake I will have to live with.//

Obi-Wan did not add anything more and soon afterward he fell asleep, still with his head on Naritha's breasts.

It was that morning, as she held her devastated bondmate in her arms that Naritha made a life-changing decision: when the time to leave Alderaan came, she would not return to Angar, but move to Tatooine with Obi-Wan.

She could not to leave him alone now that he desperately needed help and a friend—someone who would take care of him, for Obi-Wan was too pale and too thin and too old-looking for a man not even forty.

Naritha could not bear to be separated from him for seven more years, not knowing if he was dead or alive, now that the galaxy had become such a dangerous place for him. She could not bear to think he might get captured by Vader or some bounty hunter when he would be forced to leave his safe retreat to reach her in time for her next Receiving.

"No," Naritha whispered to her sleeping bondmate, "we have already been separated for the last time. I left Angar in good hands, it will do well even without me. As for you, my love," and she gently ruffled his hair, "I know you are going to protest, but it will be useless. I will come with you and stand by your side for the rest of our lives."


	9. Chapter 9

THE FIFTH RECEIVING (11BBY)

Obi-Wan did not protest when Naritha informed him she would travel to Tatooine with him.

She should have been happy he was not going to be difficult and cause a strain between them.

Instead she could be only worried because there was no acceptance in his eyes, just apathy.

With Bail Organa and his doctor's help, Naritha faked her death due to unforeseen breathing complications caused by the Corellian flu. She and Obi-Wan left the planet on a cargo directed to Krenak the very day "her" funeral was held and her body cremated.

Naritha was saddened to cause such a pain to her family, but she thought it would be more prudent to cut all the ties between them.

Darth Vader, formerly known as Anakin Skywalker, knew of her bond with Obi-Wan and there was the chance he might go to Angar to search for her and his old master. Lying to Vader was almost impossible, and thus she made sure her parents and brother would not have to do it.

Obi-Wan was silent for most of the journey, and the only time he spoke was to give her instructions when they landed on Krenak, directing her to the small ship that would take them to Tatooine. The trips had been broken into two parts to avoid the imperials discovering their final destination should they realize her death had not been real.

§

The first times on Tatooine were very hard for Naritha.

She had always lived on the beautiful, fertile Angar. She was used to its forests, its lakes, its grass plains. And she was used to a life of comfort, to a pristine clean apartment, to have an air conditioner during the summers and to be able to take all the baths she wished for.

Tatooine was completely different from Angar. Its twin suns beat down the planet's barren, rocky mountains and parched sands; the air was hot and thick during the days and chilly in the nights; the rough sand managed to filter everywhere and the only water at their disposal came from the water condensers installed behind the house.

Obi-Wan's home – a former moisture farm deep in the Jundland Wastes- was equipped with several condensers, but that did not mean water could be wasted and thus, most often than not, the two bondmates shared the same bath, taking turns in the tub.

The sand bothered Naritha even more than the lack of water for no matter how hard she tried, she could not prevent it from slipping inside the house, insinuating itself in their beds and food.

She simply hated when she heard some tiny grain grind under her teeth, but Obi-Wan seemed not to notice those discomforts.

§

In truth Obi-Wan did not seen to notice anything during the first months after she moved in with him.

He scarcely ate, slept badly and spoke only when directly questioned. He walked every day to the Lars homestead, but he never went to actually visit the family. He just stood there, outside the farm's perimeter watching without really seeing, seemingly lost in a world of his own.

Naritha did not need to be a doctor to understand he was severely depressed. Who would not be in his place?

She kept silent for several months, leaving him his space, thinking he might need to sort it out by himself.

However after a while she realized she had to do some something, for Obi-Wan was slowly killing himself.

Thus one day, as they were sitting in the kitchen, Naritha dropped her eating utensils on the table.

As she had hoped, the sudden noise startled Obi-Wan and he looked at her with mild surprise.

"Ahh…so you are not completely deaf," she said, her voice harsh.

He blinked his eyes and murmured, "Sorry?"

"I have asked you more than once if you wanted to talk and you never answered. I was beginning to think you had become deaf."

"No…no…I am not. I was just meditating."

"Meditating?" Naritha almost snorted.

"Yes. I was trying to commune with Qui-Gon's spirit."

"What did you say?" she asked, not believing to her ears, "You were doing what?"

"Master Yoda has told me Qui-Gon has retuned from the netherworld of the Force. I have been trying to contact him since I arrived."

Naritha did not accuse Obi-Wan of being crazy; instead she took the opening he had offered and plunged in it.

"You are not meditating! You are vegetating! You are closing out much of your life, much of what you are. You once told me Master Jinn was strong in the Living Force…how do you think you can reach him if you are barely existing?" Obi-Wan opened his mouth to say something but she was faster. "You are killing yourself little by little! You let your demons eat you from inside, instead of uncovering them as you do with a purulent wound. Do you think your precious Qui-Gon would want this? And what about Luke? How can you protect him if you barely know what goes on in this house?" Naritha glared at Obi-Wan, then pushed back her chair with such violence it fell, and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door.

She stretched on her bed and covered her eyes with her forearm, as a few tears escaped her closed eyelids.

She had not be really angry as her tone might have suggested, but she had been desperate to reach Obi-Wan and finally make him see he was not alone, that she was there to help.

Now she could only wait and hope for the best.

The minutes ticked slowly away, then the door opened and Obi-Wan stepped inside the room, walking to the bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress and posed a hesitant hand on her arm.

"Naritha? Do you hear me?"

She nodded.

"You are right, dearest, I have been behaving like a selfish idiot, so wrapped up in my self commiseration not to notice the incredible gift you gave me by coming here with me. Please Naritha, forgive me. I promise I will make it up to you. Just forgive me-"

Naritha sharply sat up and put her fingers over his lips, her firm eyes locked with his tormented ones. "You don't need my forgiveness, Obi-Wan. You need to learn to forgive yourself. You will never start to heal until you do it."

Obi-Wan's eyes filled with tears. "How can I do that when I know it is all my fault?" he rasped, "I did not teach him well enough. I was not the master he needed. I should have seen he was too attached to Padmé. I should have noticed how obsessed he was with her. I should have kept him away from Palpatine."

Naritha listened in silence as the "should have's" were followed by the "if only's" , but her hands grasped his own, squeezing them in support as his words and his tears streaked out in a seemingly endless torrent. He needed to vent out the pain, the despair, the sense of failure he had kept bottled inside him for far too long.

He cried for a long time, his hot tears falling on their joined hands, until the moment she thought it was time to start rebuilding some of his confidence.

Thus she said, speaking very gently, "A long time ago, I read a book about child education, and found a line that impressed me very much in its simple wisdom. Do you wish to hear it?"

Obi-Wan nodded slowly.

"It said the good teacher is not the one who chooses for his pupils; it the one who gives to his pupils all the knowledge to make the right choice. You did that with Anakin. You taught him what was wrong and what was right. What was allowed and what was forbidden. You gave him the instruments he would need to make a choice._ He_ _chose_ to take the wrong path, Obi-Wan. You did not push him there."

"But…but I should have prevented him from being corrupted by Palpatine," Obi-Wan stubbornly insisted.

"How? What could have you done? Forbid him to see the Chancellor? Lock him in his rooms?

Remember Obi-Wan, there is no worst deaf than someone who does not want to listen." Naritha took a deep breath and concluded quietly. "When you will accept it is not your fault if Anakin chose to turn, then you will start to heal. And then I am sure, you will be able to come in contact with your late master."

Obi-Wan smiled slightly, his cheeks still wet with his tears. "Then you don't think I am mad."

"Of course not. I am not a Jedi, but I have been bonded with one for twenty-two years, and I know a thing or two about the Force. If Master Yoda has told you Master Jinn has returned, then it is really so. I can only hope you will be able to contact him soon and that he will help you to find the peace you have lost. But as you wait for him," Naritha paused and leaned to kiss his cheek and embrace him, "let me take care of you, beloved, and let me share your burdens."

"Only if you allow me to do the same for you," Obi-Wan answered, hugging her back and burying his face into her neck.

"Of course, my love, of course."

§

Starting from that day, things slowly improved between them.

Little by little Obi-Wan relaxed and removed all the barriers he had created around himself and opened both his heart and mind to his bondmate.

They talked again of what had happened to Anakin and to the Jedi Order, but this time Naritha did not just listen but prodded Obi-Wan to tell her more—to tell her everything.

Obi-Wan was especially crushed by what he perceived to be his major fault: how had it been possible he had not seen it coming? How had it been possible he had not noticed Anakin's affection for Padmé Amidala had developed into an obsessive passion? And how had it been possible none of the Jedi had sensed Palpatine was the Dark Lord they had been looking for?

The last question led Naritha to wonder if maybe Palpatine had cast some kind of spell over the Jedi, which resulted first in Obi-Wan smiling, then frowning.

"No, he did not cast a spell on us. It was the dark side that made all of us blind." He said pensively, rubbing his beard. "Master Yoda had sensed the darkness creep over the galaxy since the Trade Federation crisis on Naboo, and the Clone Wars made it more evident. It is just I never thought—or believed – your capacity to use the Force would be so impaired by it. And instead it happened. That's why we were so unaware of what was going on in front of our noses." Obi-Wan shook his head. "I should have suspected it when the medical droid on Polis Massa told us Padmé was carrying twins and both Master Yoda and I were so surprised. Jedi can sense the tiniest form of life—how could we have missed the presence of two children so strong in the Force?"

Naritha nodded, smiling at herself because she could see the Obi-Wan she knew raise his head again.

The first signal Obi-Wan had made peace with himself was heralded by the return of his appetite, which, in due time was followed by the return of his energy, physical strength and will to do.

The broken Jedi Master whose hair had threatened to turn completely grey before its time because of grief and pain, was replaced by an active, resourceful forty year old man, with bright blue-grey eyes and a gentle smile that made him look much younger. In a sort of miraculous feat, the greying process of his hair was reversed, and five months after what Naritha now called "The Talk", Obi-Wan returned to looking exactly as he had in the message he had left her before leaving for Utapau.

His mane returned to be soft, shiny and ginger coloured as before, with just that touch of grey near his temples she was so fond of caressing and kissing.


	10. Chapter 10

The relationship between Obi-Wan and Naritha blossomed again, becoming even stronger.

They began to share a bed and discovered the joy of making love just because they felt like doing it, as a way to express the love they harboured in their hearts.

They became everything for each other: lovers, friends, confidants, guardians and even co-workers.

They worked on their home to make it more spacious, sand-proof and more isolated from the outdoor heat.

They sowed the terrain behind their house to plant a small kitchen garden, a seemingly desperate battle against the heat and the sandstorms, which instead – thanks to some judicious use of the Force to coax the plants into growing – turned out to be a great success.

Obi-Wan took Naritha with him when he went to check the Lars homestead, but he no longer stopped outside the property without making any contact with the family. Now instead, they went to visit the Lars, and in due time Naritha and Beru developed a good friendship, while Obi-Wan and Owen came to respect each other, despite the younger man's uneasiness toward the Jedi.

The young man had spent his entire life on Tatooine, never travelling far from Mos Eisley and his home and, as many people with a narrow mentality and scarce knowledge of the galaxy, he was wary of what he did not know or understand.

Obi-Wan was aware of it, and tried not to talk about the Force or use his powers in Owen's presence, but it was not always possible. Luke was growing up quickly and it would not take long before the abilities he had received from his father started to manifest.

The boy would need to learn to control them, but every time Obi-Wan tried to breach the topic, Owen would say "later" and walk away.

Back at home, Obi-wan would confess his frustrations to Naritha, and she would try to soothe him as she could. In truth she understood some of Owen's reservations, but she also knew Obi-Wan missed having someone to teach.

Thus she asked him to teach her to meditate.

"So we will be able to do everything together. I feel lonely when you disappear for hours in that small cave of yours," she joked, referring to his favourite meditation place.

Obi-Wan growled, "That's fine for me, but remember, I can be a strict master." Then he lessened the effect of his words with a smile and a little kiss.

Under Obi-Wan's tutoring, Naritha slowly learned how to let go of conscious self, how to free her mind from her thought and came to understand why the Jedi dedicated to much time to meditation. She had never felt so much serenity and peace, and she regretted not asking her bondmate to teach it to her years before.

It was during one of their shared meditation sessions that Qui-Gon's faint, slightly transparent and glowing blue spirit finally appeared to his former Padawan.

Naritha stared at the Force ghost in amazement as he sat cross-legged in front of Obi-Wan, then she moved her gaze over her bondmate, and saw the tears of joy streaking down his cheeks.

Ever a perceptive woman, she stood up and after a bow to Master Jinn and a shoulder squeeze to Obi-Wan, she left them alone, for sometimes not even a bondmate has the right to listen to what a father and a son say to each other.

§

The Fifth Receiving, when it happened, brought a new dimension to the relationship between Naritha and Obi-Wan.

The previous experiences had been marked by a barely continued hunger, due to the long separations between one Receiving and the next. Having little time to spend together, they had wanted to do everything at once, to experience all as soon as possible.

With this fever instead, they took their time, combining their mental and physical strength not to be so ruled by their bodies, and to transform the experience in a very erotic, emotionally fulfilling moment.

It was during the Receiving that Obi-Wan, feeling overtly emotional, rolled atop Naritha and cupping her face in his hands murmured, his voice conveying all his seriousness. "I love you Naritha. You and our bond are really a gift of the Force. I am not sure I would have survived these last years without you."

"You would have," Naritha answered, trying to downplay her role. "You are strong, Obi-Wan. Steadfast. You would have gone on even without me."

"Yes, I probably would have. But how, dear heart? Duty can be a powerful push to go on with one's existence, but living is a different thing." Obi-Wan shook his head frustrated by his inability to express what he felt, then his eyes brightened and he went on. "During the year I spent here alone, my sleep was often tormented by nightmares and two of them were recurring. The first one was a repeat of the fight on Mustafar, and I always woke up with Anakin's screamed "I hate you!" in my ears. The second one instead was about myself duelling with Darth Vader as he is now. In that dream I looked slow and old, both in the spirit and the flesh, ready to sacrifice myself to protect Luke, who was in the dream too, a young man looking very much like Anakin at his age. And when Vader stroke me down, I was actually happy to leave this mortal world, because I had no reason to keep on living. After you moved here and made me see how I was slowly killing myself, I stopped having this dream—but it has recently returned. Only it is different from before."

"Different? How different?" Asked Naritha, wondering why Obi-Wan was telling this to her just then.

"The scene is always the same: Vader and I battle on something that looks like the hangar of a great ship or a space station, but the outcome of the fight is different. I am not killed there. I am much faster and fitter in this dream. I look even younger, for my hair is not completely grey but just grey streaked, and I am not just fighting to help Luke to escape; I am fighting because I have much worth living for. You. I have discussed the dreams with Qui-Gon and he believes these are not products of my imaginations. They are vision of my future. The first one showed my destiny before you come to live here with me, the other was the result of you taking a more permanent place in my life." Obi-Wan shook his head gently, and stared hard into her eyes. "I can feel it, Naritha. One day I will have to face Vader again, and when it happens, I will know the outcome of the duel will be not decided only by my skills with the lightsabre but by the love I have for you."

And speaking so, Obi-wan did not leave her the time to wonder about what he had said, but lowered his head and kissed her with passion, precipitating both of them in another round of lovemaking.


	11. Chapter 11

THE SIX RECEIVING (4BBY)

During the following seven years, life went on as usual for Naritha and Obi-Wan.

Both of them were in perfect health and had settled well in their existence on Tatooine. Their life was simple but decent, thanks to the money Bail Organa kept on sending them using trusted couriers.

Their physical appearance had changed along the years, but not too much, for they both belonged to long living species. Naritha's waist long auburn hair became streaked with grey, while a few more lines appeared on his face, but they felt as young as ever.

Obi-Wan retained all his speed and ability with the lightsabre, as meetings with the Tusken Raiders demonstrated.

A large group of Sandpeople had attacked the Lars homestead while they had been there for a visit, and Obi-Wan had to resort to violence to prevent them from attacking the family and Naritha. In the fight that ensued, fourteen of the twenty raiders of the group returned home wounded or dead.

It was the first time Obi-Wan had been engaged in combat since Mustafar and the experience left him shaken.

Living on Tatooine, where time seemed to pass more slowly, where the desert seemed to never change, and where much of his time was spent meditating or training with Qui-Gon, it had been easy to forget he had been a warrior. But it was not so. Obi-Wan was still a Jedi, still a guardian of peace and one day he would have to fight again.

To tell the truth, Obi-Wan had never forgotten where his duty lay.

Once or twice a month, he and Naritha travelled to Mos Eisley, to buy their provisions but also to listen to keep in touch with what was happening in the galaxy.

They watched the holonet at home, of course, but the news it broadcasted was heavily censored or manipulated. Thus, the best way to be informed was to visit the cantinas and listen to the space captains and workers stopping there for a drink and a chat.

More often than not, the news would bring more sadness to Obi-Wan and Naritha, but sometimes they would hear something that would cause them to smile.

The Rebel Alliance, in which they knew Bail Organa was heavily involved, had begun to score some victories. It was nothing major but enough to show to several scared systems it was possible to stand against the Empire.

Sometimes, when she heard about the Rebel Alliance's feats, Naritha was afraid Obi-Wan might decide to join their ranks, but her bondmate always reassure her that his place was on Tatooine, at her side and watching over Luke until the moment he would be ready to learn the will of the Force.

To be honest, Obi-Wan had considered Luke ready by the time the boy had turned four, but Owen Lars had kept on postponing the moment.

The farmer thought Luke's powers would go away if he was left untutored. More importantly, he did not want to risk Obi-Wan taking the boy away from them as Qui-Gon had taken Anakin away from his mother. Shmi Skywalker had evidently told her family about her meeting with the Jedi, but Owen had misunderstood her words.

Obi-Wan had tried more then once to make him realize Shmi had been happy Anakin was offered a better life, and that he had no intention to take Luke away, but the other man had refused to listen.

He had forbidden Obi-Wan to teach or try to contact the boy outside the farm, but he had still allowed him to come to visit, for Beru loved Naritha's company, and he never let his bondmate cross the Jundland Wastes alone.

However the relationship between Owen Lars and "Ben" Kenobi – as he was know in the area – became more and more strained, until the day something happened to make the Jedi and his mate no longer welcome at the Lars homestead.

That day Obi-Wan and Naritha had arrived at the moisture farm while Owen was in Mos Eisley to buy some spare parts he needed to repair a broken water condenser.

As Naritha and Beru sat in the kitchen chatting about womanly things, Obi-Wan had gone to visit Luke in his room, taking advantage of the chance to be able to observe and talk to the boy without having Owen breathing down his neck.

He was about to enter the bedroom when a sudden noise came from the open door.

"Is something wrong, young Luke?" he said to the fourteen years old boy, soon joined by Beru and Naritha.

"Yes! I can't make this damned droid work!" Luke answered, before throwing said droid against the wall.

Obi-Wan was appalled by such behaviour and by the anger he felt in the boy, afraid he had inherited Anakin's inability to control his emotions. He shared a brief, concerned glance with Naritha, who stood just outside the door, then returned to concentrate on Luke.

"That certainly won't help to make it work," Obi-Wan finally commented.

"I know. It's just that I am so frustrated. It should be working, but it doesn't. And I don't have the slightest idea of where the problem might be." The boy looked angrily at the heap of metal lying near the wall.

Obi-Wan crossed the room and picked up the droid. "This is a nicely assembled machine. Did you build it yourself?"

"Yes. It is my project for the "Advanced Technology" class at school. I must deliver it tomorrow, but it does not work and I have no time to dissemble it and check for the problem." Luke looked down at his feet, clearly upset.

"I see." Obi-Wan stroked his beard, then said. "Why don't you try to guess where the trouble can be?"

"Guess?"

"Yes. Use your intuition, let your instinct guide you."

Luke looked at him very sceptically and Obi-Wan commanded gently. "Come here near me."

The boy obeyed and the older man wrapped both his hands in his larger ones. "Close you eyes, Luke, and take a deep breath. Free your mind from your worries about the class. Let go of your frustration. Focus on the droid instead. Picture it in your mind. Think about its parts and how you assembled them." Obi-Wan instructed with a soft, calm, persuasive voice.

"What is he doing?" Beru whispered into Naritha's ear.

"He is teaching him to meditate," she answered, softly, wishing not to break the boy and Obi-Wan's concentration. "The Jedi meditate a lot; it helps them to find peace and to listen to the Force."

Naritha did not even notice she had used the present tense until a harsh voice intruded into her thoughts.

"There are no more Jedi. They are all dead."

Owen's brusque arrival broke the serene atmosphere of the house and Luke's concentration.

"You are back, Uncle! Ben was teaching me how to use my instinct to discover why my droid does not work. Pretty amazing, huh?"

Owen looked at the boy, stone-faced. "Did it work?"

"No…"

"Then I don't see anything "amazing" in it."

"But we had just begun-" Luke never completed the line, because his uncle's voice interrupted him.

"Let go of the boy's hands, Kenobi, and follow me outside. It is time you and I talk again."

Naritha saw Obi-Wan sigh, before he released Luke's hands and moved to follow Owen. He was about to leave the bedroom when he turned around and looking at the droid said, "Check the battery Luke, one of the wires is disconnected."

Naritha and Beru stayed inside the house and the two men walked outdoors and watched as Luke started working on his droid.

The two women heard Owen speak in a heated tone, while Obi-Wan's calmer voice was almost silenced by the wind blowing outside

After a while, Obi-Wan returned inside and bowed to Beru. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I am afraid we have to go." He turned to face his bondmate and added. "I will wait outside"

Naritha took her leave from Beru and Luke, then joined Obi-Wan in the courtyard. Owen was nowhere in sight.

"What happened?"

"We are no longer welcome in this house. Owen has threatened to report me to the authorities if I even come close to Luke."

"But why?"

"Owen has always been scared by the Force, but now he believes the Jedi caused Anakin's death and the rise of the Empire."

"What are you going to do?" Naritha asked.

"I am not going to fight Owen and risk endangering you and myself." Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "It saddens me not to be able to spend time with Luke but I am confident that when the time is right, the Force will make us meet again. Until that moment, I will stay away. I will watch from afar and wait. If there is something I don't lack, that is patience."

Obi-Wan tilted his head and Naritha laughed softly as they headed toward their home.

§

Their Sixth Receiving arrived a few weeks after and brought them an unexpected gift.

The mental energy emanated during their fever-induced joining, tied Obi-Wan and Naritha even more tightly to each other, transforming their life-bond into a soul-bond.

The change meant that if one of them died, the other would follow soon, sparing him or her the pain of a life without the other half of his or her soul. But more importantly, it meant they would remain together even when they would become one with the Force.

It was Qui-Gon who announced the change to them, his words making Obi-Wan and Naritha forget the embarrassment they had felt when the Jedi Master had appeared in their bedroom, surprising them as they rested, completely naked, atop the sheets.

The realization they were now soul-bonded blew them away.

Naritha had never heard about a soul-bond between the Angarians, while Obi-Wan had thought it was just a legend belonging to the ancient times when Jedi were allowed to marry.

Instead it was true. Amazingly, wonderfully true.

They were destined to be together.

Forever.


	12. Chapter 12

THE SEVENTH RECEIVING (3ABY)

The bondmates' quiet life on Tatooine came to an abrupt end the day Obi-Wan saved nineteen year old Luke from a group of Tusken Raiders.

Naritha watched from behind a rock as Obi-Wan tended to Luke and then coaxed a little astrodroid from where it had hidden.

"Hello there! Come here my little friend. Don't be afraid."

The white-blue droid beeped and Naritha saw Obi-Wan smile, while a wave of nostalgia and worry seeped into the bond. He had recognized the droid. It was Artoo, Anakin's astromech and faithful companion during many a battle.

"Don't worry, he will be all right." Obi-Wan answered to the little droid's question, as Luke moaned.

"What happened?" Asked the young man, rubbing his head.

"Rest easy, son, you have had a busy day. You are fortunate you are still in one piece."

"Ben? Ben Kenobi! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Luke heard a noise and his head whipped around, but he relaxed when he recognized Naritha.

The woman stepped closer to her bondmate as Luke stood up and brushed his clothes.

"The Jundland wastes are not to be travelled lightly. Tell me young Luke, what brings you out this far?" She asked, feeling a pang as she noticed how Luke resembled Anakin.

"Oh, this little droid! I think he is searching for his former master...I have never seen such devotion in a droid before...there seems to be no stopping him. He claims to be the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Is he a relative of yours? Do you know who he is talking about?"

Obi-Wan pondered what he had heard, his hand rubbing his ginger-grey beard, and Naritha listened to some of the questions buzzing in his mind: why did Artoo claim to belong to him? How had it ended up on Tatooine? Had something bad happened to Bail and Leia? Was this the time to reveal his true identity to Luke?

Finally he nodded, coming to a decision. "Yes, I know Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"I think my uncle knew him too," Luke added. "He said he was dead."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in outrage. "Oh, he is not dead, not...not yet."

The young man tilted his head, not understanding his reaction.

"He is me. I have not used that name in public since I came here, a short time after your birth."

"Then the droid does belong to you."

"No, it does not. But I know it. Its name is Artoo and his golden friend is C3PO." Obi-Wan

suddenly looked up at the overhanging cliffs. He could sense the Tusken Raiders move behind the rock and realized they were too in the open. He wrapped his arm around Naritha's back and encouraged Luke to start moving toward home

"I think we better get indoors. The Sandpeople are easily startled but they will soon be back and in greater numbers."

§

Half an hour later Naritha entered the living room carrying a tray with three glasses of tea.

Obi-Wan smiled and picked one, sending her a "thank you" through their bond, while Luke refused the offer, busy as he was repairing the arm Threepio had lost in the fight with the Tusken Raiders.

"No, my father didn't fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter," he was saying.

"That's what your uncle told you. He did not hold with your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved." Obi-Wan commented, still trying to decide how much he should or could tell to Anakin's son.

Naritha could feel her bondmate's confusion. Obi-Wan had been waiting for this moment for years, and they had talked more than once about what he should tell Luke, but now that it had actually happened, he found himself unprepared.

"You fought in the Clone Wars?"

"Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father," Obi-Wan said, finally deciding to go for the truth—or at least how much truth he thought Luke would be able to handle.

"I wish I had known him." Luke murmured, bowing his head, and Naritha felt a tug to her heart.

"He was the best star-pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand you have become quite a good pilot yourself. And he was a good friend. Which reminds me..." Obi-Wan stood up and opened a chest, rummaging into it until he found what he was looking for.

Anakin's lightsabre. The one he had picked up on Mustafar, before turning his back to the man he had loved as a bother…Anguish rose in him, even after all these years and the peace he had made with himself and his past.

Naritha felt it through the bond. Since its strengthening during the Sixth Receiving, she and Obi-Wan had become so close they were practically two halves of the same person. They could shield themselves, and keep their privacy, of course, but most often than not, they kept their shields down, letting their thoughts travel back and forth through the bond, so much attuned, so comfortable they were with each other.

Obi-Wan's anguish was _her_ anguish, and she sent him a soothing wave, hoping he would not start to blame himself again. This was going to be difficult enough.

Obi-Wan nodded slightly in her direction, acknowledging her advice not to dwell too much in the past and returning to where Luke was still sitting.

"I have something here for you. It is your father's lightsabre. I am sure he would have wanted you to have it. I wished to give it to you before, but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow me on some damned-fool idealistic crusade like your father did."

Luke turned the metallic handle in his hands. "A lightsabre? What is it?"

Obi-Wan briefly closed his eyes, remembering the time everyone in the galaxy knew what a lightsabre was and what it stood for. How was it possible that in less than twenty years the Empire had erased all the memories of the Jedi?

"This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster, but an elegant weapon for a more civilized time. For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire."

Obi-Wan's tone was bitter, and Naritha walked behind him, squeezing his shoulders in support, as Luke ignited the sabre and watched the blue blade with rapt fascination.

"How did my father die?" He finally asked, switching off the weapon.

"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force." Obi-Wan said slowly, choosing every word with care. It was not the complete truth, but it was not a lie either. Darth Vader _had _killed Anakin Skywalker.

"The Force?" Luke asked, clearly puzzled.

"Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." Obi-Wan's voice became soft, gentle persuasive, full of reverence and Naritha threw an annoyed glance to Artoo when it interrupted that special moment with its beeping sounds.

Obi-Wan briefly smiled at her, then turned his attention to Artoo, trying to remember how the hologram unit housed inside it worked.

"Now, let's see how you ended up here, my little friend. The last time I saw you were on a ship headed for Alderaan…"

"I saw part of the message he was..." Luke's voice was cut short as the recorded image of a beautiful young woman was projected from Artoo's face.

"I seem to have found it," said Obi-Wan, as his eyes studied the hologram. He recognized her at once. She was so much alike her mother! The same eyes, the same hair, the same impassioned speech.

Leia Organa.

Leia Skywalker.

His eyes filled with tears, as Naritha started rubbing his back, trying to comfort him.

"_General Kenobi, years ago you served along my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I am afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are my only hope."_

There was a little static and the transmission was cut short, but they had seen enough.

Obi-Wan leant back against the divan, as Luke watched at him expectantly and Naritha felt a shiver run along her spine.

She had always known that one day Obi-Wan's duty to the galaxy would return to intrude on their peaceful existence, but now that it had happened, she found she was as unprepared as her bondmate had been to tell Luke the truth about his father.

Naritha knew Obi-Wan would do everything he could to help Princess Leia and the Rebellion. His eyes had darkened with determination, and his mind was busy planning and plotting.

For a moment Naritha was tempted to ask him not to be involved, to let someone else help the Princess, but she could not do it.

Obi-Wan was a Jedi before everything else, and he would not back off in front of duty. Or maybe he would do it, if she begged him hard enough, but he would lose the inner peace he had struggled so long to archive.

So Naritha silenced her fears and listened as Obi-Wan finally spoke.

"You must learn the ways of the Force if you are to come with me to Alderaan."

//I will come too// She said fiercely through the bond. //And don't even try to protest. It is useless. I won't stay here alone. I will come with you, facing at your side everything destiny is going to throw at us.//

//I am not going to protest. I wish you to be near me, no matter how selfish I am.//

//If you are selfish, then I am too.//

Obi-Wan smiled at her tone, and his hand rose to cover her own, still resting atop his shoulder.

Unaware of their mental conversation, Luke let out a brief laugh. "Alderaan? I'm not going to Alderaan. I have got to go home. It is late, I am in for it as it is."

"I need your help, Luke. She needs your help. I cannot do everything alone."

Luke paced the living room and shook his head. "I can't get involved! I have work to do! It is not that I like the Empire. I hate it! But there is nothing I can do about it right now. It is such a long way from here."

"That is your uncle talking," Naritha said gently, speaking for the first time.

Luke sighed, "Oh, my uncle. How am I ever going to explain this?" He used his hand to encompass the house, the two droids and the lightsabre he still held.

"Learn about the Force, Luke," Obi-Wan insisted.

"Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you are going." The boy insisted.

"You must do what you feel is right, of course." Obi-Wan finally said, leaving the choice to Luke.

As much as he wished to train the young man, he knew he could not force him to leave his house and the only life he had known.

Luke's choice was made for him when, that same day, he returned home to find it destroyed, his uncle and aunt killed.

The imperial troops had been directed to the farm by the Jawas that had sold the two droids to the Lars. By the time Obi-Wan, Naritha, Luke Threepio and Artoo arrived there, everything was ended and they could not do anything else but bury the dead, digging two tombs near those of Shmi and Cliegg Lars.


	13. Chapter 13

The day in which Luke Skywalker left behind his old life to became the first Padawan learner in twenty years, marked the beginning of a difficult, but also rewarding period for him, Obi-Wan and Naritha.

The following three years were full of danger and fear; of narrow escapes, long separation and almost death; of great losses and mind-numbing grief.

But there were also good moments and, at the end of the long, winding road, the dominating emotions were joy, fulfilment, love and hope.

Things happened so quickly, Naritha could barely keep up with them.

Basically from one day to the other she passed from being a long-time retired politician to being an active member of the Rebellion against the empire, working closely with Mon Montha to coordinate the rebel efforts.

Obi-Wan instead trained Luke in the way of the Force, and worked as military advisor and tactician for the Alliance. Under his guide, the Rebels began to obtain one victory after another, raising enthusiasm and support in all those systems that had never accepted the Empire's domination.

Yes, it was a busy period for Naritha, full of life changing events for the galaxy, but three moments stood out in her memory.

The first one, of course, had happened on the first Death Star, when she watched in horrified silence as Obi-Wan and Darth Vader fought again against each other.

Obi-Wan had separated from the rest of their party to go to disengage the tractor beam that trapped their ship, the Millennium Falcon. Naritha had wanted to go with him, but he had insisted he stood hidden inside the ship, in the special compartments Han Solo, the ship's owner, used in his activity as a smuggler.

Naritha had obeyed, but after the imperial troops had finished checking the ship, she had quietly slipped out her hiding place and had moved to the cockpit, from where she had watched the drama enfolding in the hangar.

She had watched as her bondmate and his former apprentice had circled each other, studying the changes time and other circumstances had brought to them.

"I have been waiting for you, Obi-Wan." Vader had said, in his mechanical voice. "We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete."

Obi-Wan had not answered, and Naritha had sensed him call the Force to him, as he used it to probe Vader's mechanical suit, looking for weak point. She had thus realized, Obi-Wan had no intention to kill Vader, just to bring him down and escape.

Then she had watched her bondmate move in a defensive position as Vader took an offensive one.

"When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master."

"Only a master of evil, Darth," Obi-Wan had answered, before Vader had attacked and the fight had begun.

Naritha had held her breath as the two blades, one blue, the other red, had clashed against each other, again and again. Darth Vader was stronger and taller than his former master and filled his blows with hate, but Obi-Wan was faster than him, for he had kept on training hard since the time, so many years before, a vision had alerted him that one day he would have to face Vader again.

Naritha had then realized this was the fight Obi-Wan had seen in his visions. She had understood why the older-looking man her bondmate had described himself to be in the vision he had before she came to live with him on Tattooine could have never won the duel.

It had been Obi-Wan's agility to make the difference on the Death Star, his ability to jump and leap with amazing speed, until the moment he had caught Vader unprepared and had cut his right hand. Ironically, it was the only limb he had not severed on Mustafar.

After that, Obi-Wan had not inflicted a killing blow, but had simply looked at his former Padawan with sad eyes, before running away to join Luke and the others on the Falcon.

Back on board, after they had escaped the imperial fleet, Naritha had dared to ask why Obi-Wan had not finally finished what had started 19 years before.

Her bondmate had given her a thoughtful look as he had rubbed his ginger-grey beard and had murmured. "The night she gave birth to the twins, just before she died, Padmé told me there was still some good in Anakin. I did not believe her back then but today…today I felt something. I think Padmé might have been right and that perhaps Luke will be able to reach for that good inside Vader. That's my most fervent hope and the reason I did not kill him today."

"And what if it does not work?" Naritha enquired.

Obi-Wan's eyes hardened. "Then I will do what I have to do."

The second moment happened shortly after the Death Star's destruction, when Obi-Wan and Naritha separated for the first time in twenty years. She went into hiding with Leia Organa and the other chiefs of the Rebellion, while Obi-Wan took Luke to Dagobah, the swamp-like planet Master Yoda had chosen for his exile.

They went there to complete Luke's training as Jedi, but also to hide from the massive man-hunt Darth Vader unleashed to find them.

They stayed away for months and would have stayed for much longer had not Vader captured Han Solo and used him as bait for Luke.

Impulsive, caring Luke fell fully into the trap and when Obi-Wan caught up with him, it was too late to prevent the loss his hand and part of his innocence to Vader's – his father's – lightsabre.

The third moment standing out in Naritha's mind was the celebration held on the Forest Moon of Endor after the battle that sanctioned the Rebel Alliance's victory and the end of the Empire.

It had been a joyous occasion for everyone involved, from Naritha to Luke, from Leia to Han, to Artoo and Threepio, but especially for Obi-Wan for, very late in the night, when the bonfires had burned down and the music had ceased and the Ewoks' village had fallen asleep, something extraordinary had happened.

Anakin's spirit had returned to say "Thank you" to his stubborn, dedicated master and for a short, perfect moment willed by the Force, his blue glowing form had coalesced, allowing him and Obi-Wan to embrace and to call each other "brother", as they forgave all the pain they had caused to each other.

§

The Seventh Receiving started just after the Empire's fall, and Obi-Wan and Naritha spent it on the moon, in a secluded hut the Ewoks put at their disposal.

It was a bittersweet time for the bondmates for they were aware that, no matter how young they felt in the spirit, their biological clock said differently. Naritha was sixty-seven, Obi-Wan had just turned sixty and they both knew there was the strong possibility it would be their last Receiving. So they tried to savour the experience as best as they could, making memories and storing them for a later time, but without having any regrets.

They had been too blessed in the past to feel anything but gratitude for the destiny that had brought them together, that day forty-two years before, when the world seemed to collapse around them, while instead the Force was at work to give them to each other.

§§§§§

The Seventh was indeed Naritha and Obi-Wan's last Receiving, but their lives were far from being over.

They lived many more years, both of them leading very active and fulfilling existences.

The bondmates moved to Coruscant, where they finally got married in front of their friends, Qui-Gon, Anakin and Yoda included.

Naritha then helped to organize the New Republic, as Obi-Wan worked with Luke on the rebuilding of the Jedi Order.

They faced every obstacle destiny threw in their way together, side-by-side, confident in the strength of their bond and in the power of their love.

But this, dear readers, is another story….

THE END


End file.
